The 87-year-old added: "I have a disabled parking line so, usually most drivers respect that although I sometimes have to go outside and explain to people that it is illegal to park there. Staff from the hospital always park around here and I've phoned the police before because it was that bad."

Dave Wheat, a member of Normacot Residents' Association, believes the increase in vehicles has been one of the causes of the problems.

He said: "Some households now have two to three cars each. This is a good street with good neighbours, but even having a disabled bay or a garage doesn't seem to stop certain motorists from parking on or in front of them.

"Even during less busy hours, there are a lot of cars on the road. When the binmen come, it takes them 20 to 30 minutes to negotiate this road because they have nowhere to stop.

"I certainly don't think parking permits are the answer to the problem either. We would like to see yellow lines put in."

Barrie Harrington, chairman of the residents' association, said safety was their top priority.

He added: "The traffic within Normacot has been a problem for quite some time because of the terraced houses.

"It can be dangerous for people exiting the road onto neighbouring streets.

"There isn't sufficient parking at the nearby hospital and staff and visitors park on the road and other streets near there. The overall focus is to make the roads safer, not just on parking issues."

The hospital has a visitor car park, with an additional overspill parking area.

Tina Cookson, director of operations at the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership Trust, said: "At certain times of day the hospital is busy, with parking space at a premium, and we appreciate that this can cause some inconvenience.

"We do encourage our staff and visitors to park considerately and to use the car park whenever possible.

"We are keen to maintain a good relationship with our neighbours and would urge anyone being inconvenienced to contact the trust to discuss their concerns."

Comments

The situation is also very bad on Ramage Grove with vehicles parked on each side of the road [on the pavements as well], as a consequence motorists have to face oncoming traffic in the middle of the road. The matter is further compounded by motorists creating 'road traffic hazards' by parking on or near road junctions and drives.